


Awakening From the Lullaby

by dragonxtreme7



Category: Nikita (TV 2010)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:41:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23450377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonxtreme7/pseuds/dragonxtreme7
Summary: What if things didn't end when Amanda was captured? Years later, Amanda finds a way out of prison, the one place everyone said she would never leave. Seven years later, no one thought it was possible. Now, Nikita, Michael, and the rest of the team must come to grips with a new Amanda, one full of vengeance for lost years.
Relationships: Michael Bishop/Nikita Mears, Nikita Mears & Alexandra Udinov
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. Introduction

Having been stuck at home with everything going on, I watched all of Nikita again to help pass the time. I wondered what would happen if things didn't end there. Maybe happiness remained for a time, then suddenly, things changed.

Please let me know what you think of this. If there is interest, I will continue the story. Thanks for the feedback.

Xx-~~~~-xX

"Are you going to answer the phone or not? It's the second time in five minutes," Michael asked.

"Sure, if it is bothering you so much, grab it."

Nikita continued the yoga pose on the porch, her hands bending a leg backward to her head. She breathed in and out slowly, enjoying the serenity of waves crashing against the beach. Life settled down over the last few years, helping the families who needed it against the institutions holding them down, it all felt great.

Michael walked over from the couch, beer in hand. His eyes remained fixed on the butt of Nitika, his urges still as strong as ever. The phone continued to ring as he chugged the beer. He looked at the phone, no number. Startled, Michael answered the phone, not sure who had Nikita's number anymore. Their friends kept to themselves. Nikita watched the TV from time to time to get the latest updates on Alex, but even those stopped when she retreated from public life.

"Hello?" Michael said.

"Did you think this was over? Turn on the news…"

"Amanda?"

Michael spoke to an empty line, the caller hanging it up. Nikita turned her head hearing the name spoken for the first time in years. She walked over, arms wrapping around Michael's waist.

"Having flashbacks again?" Nikita asked.

"No… Hand me the remote," Michael said.

Nikita strolled to the couch, casually grabbing the remote and walked back slowly. Michael couldn't stand the slowness, his mind racing about the call. His hands snatched the remote quickly, turning the TV on. Nikita glared at him, not sure what his problem was. He flipped through the channels in panic, turning the international news channel on.

Both of them turned to look, the headline turning their stomachs. Nikita buried her head into Michael's shoulder, his hands instinctively rubbing her back. He stared at the TV, resting his head against hers. They listened to the report on the television, helicopter video of the scene across all news channels.

_No one knows the cause of the accident, reports indicate the caravan was attacked by multiple vehicles carrying armed men. Alexandra Udinov is in critical condition at an undisclosed hospital. Her bodyguard, Sam Matthews, who also goes by the name of Owen Elliot, remains at large following an explosion in the Udinov compound. An anonymous tip to the police led officers to find bomb material at his hotel with additional details currently being withheld from the public._

_If you see this man, his photo recent from the last 48 hours, do not attempt to intervene and contact the authorities immediately. He is considered armed and dangerous._

Alex, in critical condition. All this was supposed to be over. How did Amanda get out of prison? The cell they kept her in was supposed to be impenetrable, multiple layers of security to even get the door open.

"She's free?" Nikita asked, her face trembling along with her hands.

"We leave in an hour. Alex cannot be alone."


	2. The Fairy Tale Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nikita and Michael come to face the grim reality with Alex barely clinging to life.

Nikita curled up in the uncomfortable chair next to Alex in the hospital room, Alex remaining on life support. This wasn’t the doings of a bomb or weapon, this was inflicted pain, brutality at the highest of levels. She refused to leave the side of her friend, the one who helped her through many years. Together, they brought down Division, it started with them and ended the same, now she needed Nikita more than ever.

“You really should rest. You haven’t slept for days, Nikita,” Michael said, offering to stay with her.

“How did this happen? Why did it?” Nikita asked, still in shock at the condition of her friend.

“Only one person can answer the questions, and no one knows where he is.”

“Go find him. I can’t leave her, Michael.”

Michael hated the idea of splitting apart, good things never happened when he and Nikita ventured alone. Too many times in their past did one of them end up almost dead, the other saving their life just in the knick of time. It had to be this way, for now, Michael had to go alone. Nikita refused to leave Alex’s side with her so defenseless, needing a machine to breathe still. It wasn’t like she could even leave here without dying.

A detective dropped off a bag full of Alex’s clothes and belongings, everything that came with her to the hospital. He hung it in the closet, only offering the faintest of regret for what happened. Even for a detective, he seemed clueless about everything. It wouldn’t be the police searching to find the answers, not in the world all of them lived. Michael went back to Nikita, checking the bag quickly for surprises.

“All of this seems unreal, Alex could take care of herself. If Sam did this, I would kill him myself,” Nikita mumbled, trying to hold back the tears.

Birkoff walked into the room, coming as quickly as Michael could locate him. He stopped instantly, seeing Alex with all the tubes connected. This wasn’t the reunion any of them hoped for. He quickly moved to Nikita’s side, hugging her tightly after shaking Michael’s hand. The lump in his throat grew more with every passing beep of the equipment. Birkoff looked visibly shaken, his hands showing just how scared he was, rattling against Nikita’s back. Even after all this time, he looked the same, only a shaggy beard on his face.

“Any ideas on this one, Nikki?” Birkoff asked, letting her go.

“We received a phone call to turn on the news,” Michael started explaining. “The voice sounded like Amanda. I do not know how or if it would be true, but that voice you never forget.”

“Amanda, it can’t be. She is locked in the most secure prison ever built!” Birkoff yelled, forgetting where they were.

“Can you find out Birkoff? We really need to know. Where’s Sonya?” Michael asked, noticing she wasn’t with him.

“We split a few years back. Sonya started to want to get out and see the world more, get more involved. It just didn’t work out.”

“Right now, we need to know if Amanda is still in prison or not. Can you do it?”

Birkoff crossed his arms, standing almost in defiance. He released Shadownet years ago to shield the people from the government. It grew more robust and better on its own, learning what it had to, evolving with the times. He didn’t see a way to break through without Shadownet knowing or stopping him. His greatest accomplishment became the crux of the entire mission. He hadn’t visited the central code to Shadownet since its release, letting it manage itself.

“Nerd, can you get Shadownet back to do what we need or not? This is Alex we are talking about. She wouldn’t hesitate to give her life for any of us,” Nikita pleaded, almost angry with his posturing.

“Give me some time. It isn’t like I can just throw a switch and turn Shadownet off. I made smart enough to evolve itself against new threats. The core lives everywhere,” Birkoff explained, not wanting them to believe this would be instantaneous. 

“Go do it. I have a few contacts I can reach out to and try to find Sam.”

Nikita stood up slowly, walking to Michael. She hated the thought of him leaving again. Everything seemed surreal, the team slowly came back together for one of their own. Happiness came to an abrupt end, the real world calling for each of them one more time.

“Be safe, Michael. You too, Birkoff.”

She kissed Michael passionately enough to make Birkoff turn his head. Nikita wrapped her arms around him, fearing now more than ever about what was out there. It wasn’t so much about dealing with things. They were in the unknown with no answers and a friend fighting for their life. This wasn’t the ending of their story, but a new beginning. Fate brought them together again. This time, it would keep them close knowing in her heart this wouldn’t stop tomorrow.

Nikita walked back to the chair beside Alex, resting a hand against hers. Alex suffered more physically than at any time in their collective past. Broken ribs and a collapsed lung caused the need for the ventilator. She remained in a medically induced coma to slow the swelling against her brain. Her right hand and leg, both broken, not like an accident. The blunt force at a key point was trained, never random for two different locations. They broke in a fight, Nikita knew it the moment she saw the x-rays. Whoever came for her, she fought them to the end.

Alex, at the same time laid in the hospital bed, bruises and cuts covering every piece of her face. The golden-brown hair giving way to a ruined mess of charred edges and missing chunks, all remnants from the explosion at her home. Nikita circled her bed, looking over her one more time for some clue that might be lost, something the doctors wouldn’t know about.

The nurses came in to check on Alex, asking Nikita to leave for her to get cleaned. Nikita grabbed the bag of Alex’s clothes from the closet, wanting to go through them. She stepped out of the room to give them privacy, as requested, sitting down in the chair outside. Her clothes looked less than ideal, a lot of burns and cuts, but something stood out. One spoke stood out, Nikita picking it out from her dress. The sticky residue wasn’t natural. She leaned down, smelling it, quickly pulling away. This was something used a long time ago at Division to neutralize a target without killing them.

Nikita wondered why, after an explosion, someone needed the chloroform compound. Whoever used it, they missed Alex, the serum going on her dress instead of the blood. Nikita took no chances, opening the door to Alex’s room. The nurse froze for a moment, syringe hanging over Alex’s chest with a green substance inside. Nikita rushed towards the nurse. The needle jammed down into Alex, Nikita kicking the nurse away before plunging it. A knife flashed out, swung wildly at Nikita, forcing her to back away. The nurse fell as Nikita yanked her forward.

The two exchanged attacks, Nikita blocking each attempt. As she tried to grab the knife, Nikita kicked her in the throat, the nurse coughing loudly. Nikita pounced, hitting her in the stomach, repeatedly targeting her ribs. Even as the nurse fell to the ground, Nikita flipped her over, pulling her arm around her back. Her knee wedged against the back of her head.

“Who do you work for?” Nikita yelled.

The nurse squirmed under her weight. Nikita started twisting her wrist, wrenching back to put all the pressure on her spine. She yelled again, demanding an answer. Whoever this nurse was, she came to kill Alex.

“You can kill me, I will never talk!” She mumbled, face smashed against the floor.

Nikita lifted her head and slammed her face into the ground, knocking her unconscious. She ran to her phone and dialed Michael quickly, wanting to alert him to what happened. Her fingers frantically dialed his, trying to reach him in panic. His phone rang, over and over, with no answer each time she called. Nikita had to settle for leaving a message, trying to slow her mind to leave it.

“Michael, its Nikita. Call me, they came after Alex. We need to get out of here as soon as possible.”

Nikita closed the door to her room and tied the hands of the nurse. She wasn’t going to let this one get away, not without a full interrogation. Nikita sat beside Alex again, leaving nothing to chance. Her fingers delicately pulled the syringe out to ensure no liquid went inside Alex. Nikita started to cleanup, the knife quickly went into the back pocket of her jeans, ready in the event she needed it still. All she could do was wait for a call from Michael or Birkoff. They needed to move fast, or Alex wouldn’t live to talk about it.

Xx-~~~~-xX

Michael walked into the club in Prague, keeping his gun loaded and tucked into his back jacket. Hundreds of people danced around, techno music blaring in the background. Lasers with neon lights lit up the dance floor, all giving him the cover he needed. Boris Klekounov would be in the back, a man of many ties and vast network. Seven years ago, Michael used him to get weapons, now he needed him for his information.

The crowd of people made it hard to detect Michael. Everyone went about their business as he waded through the sea of humanity to get closer to the DJ area. No one seemed to pay attention to him, the whole place letting him move through without security, wondering who he was. Michael approached the back door, knocking and ducking down out of the slide view on the massive metal door. He waited low, the slide opening up with no one there. Whoever answered called out in Czech, Michael choosing to stay down.

Once the slide closed, Michael knocked again. The slide opened, this time with an angry response, no one there. Each lock slowly was undone, door starting to creak open. Michael stood up, kicking the door in. The guard went flying backward, Michael pulling his gun. The few shots that rang out killed those pulling their weapons. Michael closed the door and locked it, leaving just him and Boris to have a conversation.

“Ah, Michael, what do I owe this pleasure?” Boris said, jubilant, even in the circumstance.

“I need some information, and I have a feeling you know the answers,” Michael said, cutting right to the point.

“A man of few words still. You come for information on the Udinov incident, don’t you? I remember you working with her before.”

“What can you tell me?”

Boris offered him vodka, Michael declining, his words coming out like a shotgun to the heart. Amanda lived, she was free of her prison cell, broken out by the one who wasn’t fixed yet, Sam. Michael stepped back, the information causing him grief. He never trusted Sam, not after their last incident. Alex seemed just fine having him around, but it was one thing she couldn’t control.

“Your friend, Sam, he came asking for information on Amanda. It was no secret where she was kept, but only a fool would try to get her out. It turns out, the fool won this time.” Boris said with a laugh, hiding nothing.

“Why did you help him? Are you crazy to think Amanda is a good choice?” Michael yelled in rage.

“I have no allegiances. He offered good money, the same as you. I wondered how long it until you would come. To be honest, I almost forgot since Sam came here over a year ago.”

Boris laughed again, clearly letting the vodka take hold. The man sat heavily intoxicated, having little care or regard for the words spoken. For Michael, hearing this happened so long ago was a fear he always lived in. When he and Nikita closed up shop, things had a chance of escalating again. It seems his fears, those flashbacks, came true.

“A year ago?” Michael asked, shaking his head. “Where are they?”

“Only from the beginning will you find the answer, Michael.”

Michael paced back and forth, tired of riddles. He wanted answers and pulled his gun, walking over to Boris and pressed it firmly against his head. Michael yelled, demanding the answer. Boris remained unwavering, taking a shot of vodka and slamming the shot glass down. He let out a huge sigh, the burning of vodka making him cringe for a moment.

“You have to the count of three before I pull this trigger…” Michael said, pulling the hammer back on the weapon.

“I already told you, no need to be so harsh. Division lives again…”

Screams came from the club, Michael running to the cameras against the wall. Armed troops rushed through the club, people scattering every direction. Michael ran around, looking for another way out. He approached Boris, demanding an exit. Boris casually stood up, stumbling a little, not rushing around or panicking. His hand tugged a rug back to expose a hatch in the floor. Michael opened it and climbed down. Boris went to close the hatch, saying only one last thing.

“Consider us even for saving my life. My debt is paid.”

Boris closed the lid under the rug and went back to his vodka.


	3. Pandora's Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Escaping is never easy. The group learns more than they bargained for.

“Nikki, get out of there with Alex!” Birkoff yelled into the phone.

“I can’t just carry her out nerd! She is unconscious.”

Nikita walked through the hospital hallway, the nurses vanishing was suspicious enough, but she knew the truth, they were coming for her and Alex. She rushed through the corridor to the exit stairs, a rumble coming up from the exit, flashlights on ends of semi-automatic rifles in full view. Shots fired her direction as she quickly ducked back into the hallway, sprinting for Alex’s room.

Inside she stood no chance. This was a trap, one she walked right into. How the hell was this happening? How did Amanda get so organized to pull something like this? She had help, someone else wanted her dead for reasons she didn’t know. They needed to figure out who was behind this if they lived to talk about it. 

“Talk to me Birkoff, I need a way out of here,” Nikita yelled.

He didn’t answer, cell phone signal shut down suddenly. Nikita threw the phone against the wall, everything shattering into a hundred pieces. The frustration of her situation grew as the group thundered up the stairs. She looked around, trying to figure out a plan, but it didn’t come. All she knew was Alex was a sitting duck, needing to be unhooked to get out.

Nikita scrambled to disconnect Alex from the machines, yanking cords and IVs out at a blistering pace. She grabbed her friend and threw Alex over her shoulder and onto the wheelchair in the room. Alex lobbed to the side, still unconscious with everything. Nikita pulled her gun from behind her back, throwing open the door to test the waters. Bullets peppered the door. The lights went out, darkness surrounding her and the floor. Only emergency power remained on, light flooding the hallway from exit signs only, Nikita at a disadvantage with their night vision goggles.

Time quickly started to dissolve, Nikita needing a plan. She ran to the corner and grabbed the fire extinguisher from the wall. IF they wanted a fight, Nikita planned to give it. The fire extinguisher rolled out of the room towards the lasers, her gun popping it open. White fluid sprayed everything in sight. She had her opportunity, sliding across the floor, shooting at each of them. Her bullets found the target, dropping the first three. Guns fired while she sat against the wall, tile pieces breaking off with each gunshot her direction.

Another shot came from behind, a group moving towards her from behind. Nikita jumped across the hall, barely making it to Alex’s room, blood coming from her elbows from the scrapes going across. Bullets started going through the walls, everything erupting in chaos. Nikita pulled Alex to the ground beside the bed, keeping her covered. Machines sparked out from the shots, vials busting open every direction. The bed sprayed foam into the air.

Slowly, Nikita came to the realization she might not get out. She checked her clip, only three bullets left and a knife, not enough to bring this group down. She poised her gun towards the door, bed covering her face and body the best it could. The first person to step in front went down quickly, her shot hitting his head. She kept ready, waiting for another, but there wasn’t, it only fell to silence for a moment, footsteps echoing through the hallway and room.

Bullets shot wildly every direction into the room, lasers scanned back and forth as she struggled to keep Alex covered. A shot caught her upper arm, going through as she yelled, frustration and pain, making things so much harder. Nikita kept over Alex the best she could. She waited it out, the lasers slowly stopped scanning the room, the bullets coming to an end. Her ears ran from the destruction, but the gun aimed towards the door.

“Nikita!” Michael yelled.

Nikita sighed in awe, relief sweeping over her body. She wanted to cry, her life seemingly flashing before her eyes. Michael came inside the room, weapon pointed towards the ground. He came prepared, body armor over his chest. This wasn’t some random attack, Nikita needed to know the truth, but it wasn’t meant to be discussed here.

“Birkoff, are we clear to exit?” Michael asked through his headset.

“Northern egress, avoid the street. The second wave is preparing to come through the front.”

Nikita, we need to move. Get Alex, another band approaching.”

Nikita wasted no time with Alex, getting her up and over her shoulder. She hoped none of this hurt Alex or messed her up beyond the first time. Michael led the way, heading to the stairs to the lower level he came in, parking garage still quiet with the front and all exits blocked now. He pointed to the car, getting in the driver seat. Nikita put Alex down across the back seat and grabbed his gun, ready to get out.

Michael drove away slowly, wanting no attention unless necessary. Ahead, the exit sat with an SUV in front, no easy way around. He revved the engine, Nikita putting her window down. He floored the gas, car taking off towards the ramp. The weapon went out the window with Nikita, bullets flying towards the two men standing in front of the SUV.

“You can’t let them live, this is our only chance!” Michael yelled, the car doing about 60 as he started up the ramp.

Without warning, he yanked the emergency brake, car sliding towards the gap between the wall and SUV. Nikita fired shots with the rifle, the guard doing the same as she approached. He finally went down as the car slammed into the rear of the SUV. Nikita slammed her head off the dashboard, shaking the cobwebs off and shooting every tire out of the SUV she could get while Michael drove away.

Nikita didn’t let her guard down, keeping the gun ready in the event she needed it. Her attention broke away just to check on Alex, who still breathed on her own. Not even Michael slowed down when he thought it was safe.

“What the hell is going on, Michael?” Nikita asked.

“Division is back. Do not ask me how, but it is. Sam is in charge and brought Amanda back. They rebuilt Nikita. It is no longer driven just by madness like Percy, but Sam, who is taking out all his past, along with Amanda.”

“No, he wouldn’t do this, not to Alex.”

“It is true, Nikita. I told you long ago, Sam couldn’t be trusted. After Amanda warped his mind, Sam wasn’t the same. I don’t give a shit if it is Owen or Sam, he will pay for this.”

“Where is Birkoff?”

“He is setting up a safe house for us. The news there is not going to get better either. They developed something that can bypass Shadownet. Nothing is safe anymore, Shadowmet is useless!”

Nikita sunk back into the car seat. She never imagined Sam would go down this path, let alone help Amanda after all she did. Her claws had to be sunk so deep into his consciousness to make him do it, something no one could expect. To make it worse, they were a broken team, the world looking for them again.

“All of the work we did, gone…”

If it wasn’t for the tears in her eyes, she might have seen Michael’s knuckles solid white against the steering wheel.

Xx-~~~~-xX

“Well, that went about as good as you imagined,” Amanda said.

“Of course, Michael would come to the rescue, we knew that. I think the message was received.”

Sam looked to Amanda as confident as ever. He stood over the high perch as he called it, overlooking the four critical rooms in the facility. The new location had to be different, but the same.

Information intelligence being the most expansive, having computer screens with individual stations, only two computers separated from the rest. Both had a massive screen behind them on the wall, the two dedicated to their efforts. Sam called them the twins, a man by the name Delvin and woman, Sareta. Together, they controlled the flow of information in and out, manipulated the government as they saw fit to get what was necessary.

Amanda’s favorite rooms sat next to it, a place she called Liberation. Multiple cells held individuals who needed adjustment, her way of saying they would not be themselves soon after. One master room at the end became the collection of devices she used to “liberate” those souls who she deemed necessary.

Another massive room after was what Sam called “the grounds.” He built it himself, designing the way people would train and learn. It wasn’t the same old, pathetic methods Division once tried. He brought in experts who excelled with the cleaners, all desperate for work.

The last room tied to the high perch was “the annex,” a collection of weapons and technology. Each piece inside had a purpose, from a gun to a special serum, nothing left the room without authorization.

Sam’s perch was the entire length of the four areas, many hundred feet long, lined with rooms for his most trusted associates. Both he and Amanda had rooms along the corridor, but another joined, a woman by the name of Equinox. She was an addition, compliments of Amanda’s escape. Her reward for helping was the freedom to do anything she liked. For over a year, she trained endlessly under Sam and the instructors who came in.

“Can we agree this place is not Division now?” Amanda asked, knowing how to manipulate Sam correctly.

“You are right. We need a new name for it, something people will not forget.” Sam said, walking back to the table to sit with Amanda over tea.

“Pandora,” Amanda said, sipping her tea. “I always warned them, never open Pandora’s Box without being ready for the consequences.”

“Pandora it is then,” Sam agreed, tapping teacups.

Sam stood up, walking towards the console. “Equinox, can you come here, please?”

Both he and Amanda waited for her arrival. Sam sat at the table once again, ready to speak with his apprentice. When she arrived, Equinox placed her hands behind her back, waiting for whatever orders they had. She was not a random woman who came from the dark. Amanda worked on her while in prison, building the trust, and now, she had anything she wanted.

“We would like for you to hunt the remaining list. Leave Nikita, Michael, Birkoff, and Alex off it, for now. They will show up together, and when the time is right, you will strike. Ensure you are taking your supplements to stay on course.” Amanda said.

“How many have you killed so far?” Sam asked.

“Sixty-two as of now. There are only nine remaining from the list with those four removed.”

“Impressive, those are better than Nikita’s numbers,” Amanda replied.

Equinox refused to go by her own name after helping Amanda, Jennifer seeming so dull compared to the person she was. She stood just over five feet and eight inches, toned and muscular, without being too much. She reminded Amanda of Nikita, a woman of Asian descent, tall, beautiful, and able to kill anyone who got in her way.

She excused herself, leaving Sam and Amanda to speak amongst themselves again. Both looked to her as the new Nikita, one who could destroy their world. She had the skills to do it, she had the desire and passion for removing them. Only Amanda knew her past, one she happily used to change the woman. sNow Equinox was their assassin, their weapon against the likes of Nikita and Michael.


	4. Project Shapeshift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new Project is launched within Pandora to continue their stronghold.

“Project Shapeshift,” Amanda said, sitting at the head of a conference table. “This project is essential to recovering key assets we need to remain self-sufficient. Two teams will go to the laboratory. One will recover a device called the Pigeon, the other will collect the two engineers working on it.”

“We need this device to have encrypted communication. Without it, our network is susceptible to listening,” Delvin explained.

“Equinox will brief everyone on their role and assignments,” Amanda said, walking out.

Sam waited in the perch for her to arrive, wanting to get feedback on the recruit's first real briefing. He wondered how they would handle the field, none of them except Equinox seeing action. He paced back and forth in front of screens against the walls, all highlighting the target and field operation. Everything had to go off without a hitch.

“How did it go?” Sam asked.

“Perfect. Once we have the Pigeon, all communication from here to the field will be encrypted from government oversight and any outsiders. We will be playing by our own rules again.”

“I do not want to become a rogue operation and deals with black shadows. We do the work the government asks of us. They must never know you serve here, so it cannot be personal…”

“Except for the group we discussed. They are personal, and I will not allow you to stop me.”

Sam smiled, walking closer to Amanda and kissing her gently. He playfully bit her lower lip, pulling it as he moved backward. Amanda found it hard not to return the smile herself, after all, the man and Equinox saved her from a prison hell. She would be grateful, but even that had its limits. Amanda was a master manipulator, one who knew torture and mental games better than anyone. Her entire life remained dedicated to this one passion.

“Nikita is all yours, Michael is mine. No one will stop us from controlling things again. It feels good to be back in control, no billion-dollar heiress telling me what to do.” Sam said, still smiling.

“Do you have an update on their location?” Amanda asked, the smile dropping with the discussion turning to a more personal subject.

“No update besides the video package we put together. We did track down Birkoff, it seems he is trying to take Shadownet over again. He does not know we are monitoring his every location now.”

“Seymour Birkoff…” Amanda said, sitting down in her usual chair. “Why do we not send a message? Maybe nothing as extreme as Alex, but something to rattle him.”

Amanda outlined her idea, wanting Birkoff to feel the heat. The entire group needed to feel the pressure, but it could start with him. She wanted evidence planted to make him guilty of a hack, one traced through Shadownet to him only. Sam sat down, listening to her plan. Something so simple as a failed government hack, one that pinpoints his exact location immediately.

At the same time, another set of doctored footage went to press, all of which cleared Sam of the Udinov attack. He was considered dead, a fake autopsy report, and the body cremated. It mattered little with the changes he had planned. Sam didn’t need to remain who he was anymore, their ambitions ran much higher, all requiring some changes to the way Sam looked. Amanda made sure it suited her tastes at the same time, refusing to be with a man who didn’t look the part she wanted.

Both of them talked through everything, the footage, finding the Pigeon, and the next phase of their setup. All sounded so perfect. Amanda kept Sam close, extending a hand to touch his, giving more passion to a man now than ever in her life.

“Any objection to sending a team for Seymour Birkoff?” Amanda asked seductively.

“Do as you like. We are a team, remember?” Sam whispered in her ear.

Amanda showed no signs of slowing with Sam having no objections to her suggestion, his only passion right now for getting quickly back into bed with Amanda. He agreed to everything she proposed and promptly swept her away to his private chambers. Nothing would break him away for the next few hours. He and Amanda had all the confidence in Equinox and her abilities.

A few hours later, both emerged with a smile. Amanda had to straighten her dress out a few times. Equinox waited in the perch for them to arrive, keeping herself isolated to the central position over Information Intelligence. She poured herself a glass of juice, properly crossing her legs and sitting up perfectly straight, just like Amanda taught her. When she saw Sam and Amanda approaching, Equinox stood up to greet them.

“We assume everything went perfectly?” Sam asked.

“Flawlessly. We secured the Pigeon you asked and a few new things. One scientist spilled his guts about some other prototypes being worked on, including a device able to break almost any encryption. We decided to bring him and his friend for some… questioning…”

“Where are they now?” Amanda asked, pointing her question with pleasure and desire.

“Liberation, Cell 1, and 3.”

“Good work, Equinox. Continue recruit training.” Sam said, turning to Amanda. “I assume you are going to have some fun?”

Amanda smiled and walked away. She went down the long corridor to the secret staircase in the back of her office. She created a whole new office, one better suited to the talents she wanted to bring forward. Dresses hung against a rack against the wall and opposite, an equal amount of suits. Her initiation, once a recruit passed, was simple; select the dress or suit as you like and wear it instead of the garbs given which barely were modest. A simple table sat in the middle with four chairs. Her desk remained in the corner closest to the door, a way to see people’s reactions the first time they enter.

She descended the staircase slowly, adjusting her hair along the way. The only noise was the sound of her heels clicking off each step, designed perfectly to make anyone inside hear her approach. A scanner sat at eye level with information on the current occupant. Amanda lowered her face down to have it scan her eye, the door clicking open as soon as it confirmed her identity. She entered cell 1, a man blindfolded and strapped to a unique metal chair sat in the middle of this room, the scientist's jacket gave an indication of who he was.

“Tell me about the project you tried to hide from us,” Amanda asked, circling around the man sitting in the chair. “Tell me about the device and why you destroyed the prototype.”

“Who… Who are you…”

Amanda rolled her eyes, firming up her voice for the discussion. She hoped someone would give something different, something more unique than the usual dull questions. The man before her looked less than ideal for torture, someone who would give in at the earliest sign of pain. She wanted a challenge, she wanted someone like Nikita to interrogate with her new tools. This wasn’t even worth her time.

“Why do we not skip to the end of this, shall we?”

She ripped the blindfold off. The man stared at her in panic, seemingly confused by his capture. This was the last thing the man ever assumed. Amanda, however, had bigger plans for him, knowing some of the details about his work on a technologically advanced tablet in her hands with glass only she saw. No matter what answer he gave, the result would be the same. To assume his work would go to waste was pointless.

“You can either agree to work for us and provide us a working copy of your deciphering machine. In exchange, we will give you unlimited supplies and allow you to live. If you chose not to, I could be _VERY_ convincing…”

Amanda left before getting an answer. She dropped the tablet to the table outside his cell. The door closed quickly behind her, and she went to the cell beside him. Two scientists were pointless, and this one had nothing special to offer. She would get compliance through this man alone. The door remained open behind her intentionally, Amanda turning form the panel with a smile on her face.

“Will you make me a promise?” Amanda asked, removing the blindfold from the man in Cell 3.

“Wh…What…” He mumbled, shaking, and crying.

“Scream…”

Amanda pulled the scalpel from the tray behind him and started her work. His screams echoed through the room while Amanda continued to enjoy what she did. Sam watched on from the perch, admiring the way Amanda went about the process. The scientist could do nothing until she finished. Amanda remained covered in blood, leaving the whimpering scientist in the current cell to return to cell 1.

She opened the door to his cell and looked forward, blood dripping from her hands to the ground below. With all the blood sprayed across her face, she wiped it like make-up against the scar. The man sitting in the chair nodded his head in agreement. Amanda smiled at her work, closing the door to his cell. She looked up to the mirrored glass between her and Sam, knowing he watched, she blew a kiss with the blood of the other still on her hands.

Xx-~~~~-xX

Nikita remained faithfully by Alex’s side for days, tending to every need she had without question. Alex stayed in bed, too weak to move or even talk, taking time to recovery from the wounds she suffered. All of them hoped to get answers, those answers to make some sort of sense about the emergence of Amanda and Sam. They worked together now with some kind of new Division, one none of them had any knowledge of.

Michael kept guard from the window. He didn’t like being so exposed to the city, but they honestly had nowhere else to go. Alex couldn’t leave in her condition. The world now looked for Alexandra Udinov, stories all over the TV of her kidnapping going viral and the previously unreported death of Sam. Nikita Mears and Michael Bishop, international criminals and a part of the most wanted lists. The video looked terrific, even if untrue, their actions convincing the world again of her being evil.

“We need to get out of here, Michael. The moment Alex can move on her own, we need to make a run for it. Everyone is hunting us here…” Nikita mumbled.

“There is no way we can right now. Look at Alex, she is barely conscious a few moments of the day. This whole thing is shit!”

His frustration was rightfully earned. They did nothing to deserve any of this. Amanda’s hatred ran so long and so deep that until she died, it would never stop. Each of them imagined it all ended with her going to the highest level security prison in the world, but not even that could contain Amanda. It clearly showed that only death would be the escape. He urged her to get cleaned up and take a moment away, something she had yet to do.

Nikita left Alex in bed to go and get a shower. She slowly stepped into the shower, quickly losing herself to the thoughts running astray. Everything changed. The happiness faded away so quickly. How did Amanda escape? The entire thing perplexed her. Even as the water turned cold, Nikita rested against her arm firmly against the shower tile.

She quickly dried off and returned to Alex. Michael paced back and forth with fresh vigor. Something was wrong. He walked quicker than usual, an angry smirk across his face. Nikita stopped in front of him and lowered the gun to his side.

“What is it?” Nikita asked softly.

“This new Division, Birkoff said they tried to track him and sent an intercept team. Whoever they are, someone almost found Birkoff through Shadownet, his program. I just do not get it.” Michael said.

“Where is he now?”

“We need to pick him up in two days. Alex needs to be ready at that point. He is arranging transport back to Washington.”

“I am not sure she will be ready by then,” Nikita urged, needing to check on Alex.

“I will be fine…” Alex said, sitting up in the bed very slowly.

Nikita and Michael ran over together to Alex. She barely managed to get herself up. Her good hand went against her head, slowly rubbing her forehead softly. Nikita wrapped her arms gently around her fallen friend, both sharing tears for a moment. When it ended, Alex winced as she pushed herself back to a better position, the cast on her leg being heavy and painful all at the same time. She looked over to the IV in her hand and went to remove it until Nikita grabbed her hand.

“You really need to leave that in. It took a week to get you off that ventilator and out of the coma.” Nikita said, keeping Alex down the best she could.

“Coma?” Alex asked.

“Alex, you were in the hospital, and Division came to kill you. Do you remember anything?”

Alex shook her head slowly, still rubbing her forehead. She said the headache persisted, more than likely from the concussion. Her ribs were wrapped tightly to keep them from moving too much, breathing just as tricky with her lung still healing. When Michael and Nikita explained everything, she lowered herself to the bed again. It seemed too much.

“This just has to be a dream. Amanda was in jail. Sam would have protected me or caug…”

“Sam runs Division now. He helped free Amanda, and we hoped you could explain what happened.” Michael said, lifting his gun to the first sound in the hallway.

It seemed Alex didn’t remember much. After the first explosion and the ceiling came down on her, a person came into her house wearing black. Their fight was so one-sided, and when they smashed her head against the wall, she went fuzzy. They systematically dissected her apart. The bomb left on the table blew her out the rear door of the house, the only reason she lived was getting behind the sofa in time for it to absorb the shockwave. She never saw the person, but everyone blamed Sam.

Alex remained in disbelief. She looked at her hand and then her leg, both broken still, slowly remembering the way it happened. They moved so quickly, everything she did to defend herself failed. They were so perfect and trained so well. At first, she wondered if the person was Nikita the way they moved or even Michael with the force they hit with. All of it seemed so surreal.

Nikita helped her get changed from the hospital gown to something a little more reasonable. It took all of her patience and energy to get changed, a new dress and underclothes made her feel better. The only problem was her weakened state. A broken hand kept her from doing much, just flexing her fingers brought tears to her eyes. She carefully positioned herself to make the pain go away, her leg throbbing no matter what she did. Everything went against her, at least Alex assumed so.

“Right now, we need to get to Birkoff and get out of here before they find us. We rendezvous in two days with Birkoff and go to Washington.” Michael explained.

“I guess your days as Alexandra Udinov are over for a while,” Nikita said.

“Doesn’t sound like I have a choice, do I?” Alex said, somber. “Alexandra Udinov is dead…”


End file.
